WINNING NARRATIVE 2004
The XXX Volunteer Fire Department is located in the
City of XXX, MMM County, Minnesota. XXX is approximately 150
miles northwest of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. XXX is a
growing community in a rural area with a
significant retirement age population. We are located along US Highway
##,
State Highway ##, and State Highway ## in the center of Minnesota.
The project we are requesting to be funded.
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The XXX Volunteer Fire Department is seeking funds
from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program under the
Firefighting
Vehicle Acquisition Program to purchase a 75’Quint apparatus that would
serve
our response area and the surrounding area for the next 30 or more
years. The
lack of an aerial apparatus has a negative impact on firefighter safety
and our
ability to provide critical fire protection to our industrial and
downtown
businesses, as well as in some of the rural fire/rescue situations in
our
response area. A major downtown fire demonstrated this inadequacy on
March 12th
of this year. The standard ground ladders currently in our inventory
could not
be used without severe risk to firefighter health and safety, due to
the
possibility of collapse in the fire area as well as on the adjacent
buildings. The
roof collapse did cost us some small tools and equipment, but the
firefighters
were moved to a safe area just prior to collapse. In addition, loss of
any one
of our major industries to fire also negatively impacts communities
within a
30-mile radius. This new Quint would be the first in MMM County and
would be
available to any neighboring community needing our assistance.
How do we plan to use the Grant Funds for each major budget
activity listed?
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We plan to use the grant funds to purchase a new 75’ Quint
with a 1500 GPM pump. The new unit will have a minimum 4 or 6 member
crew cab,
will be NFPA 1901 and OSHA compliant in all respects.
Federal share: $405,000
Required local cost share: $45,000
Additional 10% local cost share: $45,000
Total projected cost of apparatus$ 450,000.
Why is this program beneficial to our community and/or Fire
Department?
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The XXX Volunteer Fire Department serves all or
parts of nine (9) townships in our response area, including the City of
XXX, in a 187 square mile area. We
have mutual aid agreements with seven (7) neighboring communities, most
with
populations of less than 1000. The XXX Volunteer Fire Department
is charged with fire protection for an area
population of approximately 6500 people, in addition to possible
interagency
mutual aid support. The industrial fire protection requirements include
six (6)
major industries in the city, with employee numbers from 50 to 650, in
addition
to numerous small businesses and the downtown district. The main
building of XXX’s largest
industry is over 300,000 square feet in size.
Another serious fire like we had on March 12 of this year in
any of these businesses would have devastating effects on the local
economy. In addition, we have two apartment
buildings for the elderly, an assisted living center, three public
school
buildings, two parochial schools, and a Hospital/Nursing Home/Medical
Center
Complex. In purchasing this firefighting unit, we will be in compliance
with
current regulations governing firefighting apparatus and fire
protection
equipment and enhance our services for the next 30 years or more. The
new
apparatus will enhance interoperability with neighboring community fire
departments by allowing us to provide better mutual aid support for
their large
incidents. Several of these communities also have large or high
buildings in
their fire protection area, and would benefit by the quick response
quint that
we would have for their immediate needs, rather than the hour wait
currently in
place for the nearest aerial to respond. There are rural rescue
scenarios where
the aerial ladder would make rescue from a farm silo or a manure pit
safer and
quicker for the firefighter as well as the victim.
Why this project cannot be funded solely through local
funding.
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In these uncertain times, all governmental units are cutting
costs wherever they can. Investment funds (if you have any) are not
producing
income like they have in the past; State Aid funds for the city have
been cut
by significant amounts in the past three years. The township
boards are also cutting their costs and we have
discussions on their costs for fire protection. Funds are available to
cover
our 10% cost share for the fire grant program. In addition, our city
administration has stated that they would fund an additional 10% to
support
this project. Our city has been working very hard to replace
non-compliant
apparatus and equipment to ensure the health and safety of our
firefighters
over the past 7 years. The capitol accounts budget is severely strained
at the
present time and the City of XXX will not be able to keep up with the
needs of the department without this grant funding. Without the
Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Program, XXX Fire Department would not be able to
even consider a Quint as part of our firefighting apparatus inventory.
Other information relevant to the grant application for
consideration.
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ISO Standard 540
risk analysis suggests our community is in need of a ladder company to
support
the fire protection needs of our community due to the number of high
and large
buildings. We are currently in the process of expanding a new
industrial park
to the West of XXX and in the process of developing a new subdivision
to the Northeast of town. Most of our neighboring communities have
significant
difficulty getting enough firefighters during the day for their
emergency
responses. The XXX Volunteer Fire Department consistently provides an
average of 15 Firefighters day or night to meet the emergencies
presented. Our
department prides itself with being one of the most aggressive,
well-trained
fire departments in our area. We see the smaller neighboring
departments
looking to us for support in many ways, and we are ALWAYS willing to
assist,
whether it is firefighting (mutual aid), training or other fire related
activities.
Even though it took nearly an hour from time of call to
being in operation, a distant neighboring community’s 25 year old Quint
saved
our community, we feel, from potential loss of 3 to 5 more businesses
as well
as the high potential for risk of firefighters health and safety.
Specifications will be written to allow multiple fire
apparatus builders to bid the unit so that the bids are most
competitive.